Parasite (1982)

nParasite (1982)

nDirector: Charles Band

nCast: Demi Moore, Luca Bercovici, Tom Villard

nSo here’s another one of those films that made me crap mynpants when I was a kid. Back when I was about 5 or 6 years old, I had thisnuncle who would take me to all the movies he’d go see, and that’s how I ended upnseeing Parasite (1982). Never mind that it was an ‘R’ rated horror film withnrape scenes and gore, my uncle just took me to everything he went to see withnhis girlfriend. I remember at one point his girlfriend realized I wasnfrightened out of my skull and offered to hold my hand if I got too scared. FornParasite I held her hand the whole time! This was the first 3-D film I ever saw;nit came out during a time when 3-D was enjoying a revival during the 80’s. Then3-D effects so impacted my young mind that I remember seeing freaking slugsneverywhere, even after I’d left the theater! Ah, the delicacies of having anfeeble and gullible mind! Those days are long gone and horror movies don’tnreally scare me anymore, but ahhh, the memories! Back then this movienfrightened me like no other! I think what frightened me the most were thenbody horror elements, creatures squirming beneath the human skin is still anfrightening idea to me. So this Halloween, I’ve decided to revisit films thatnscared me as a child and this was one of them, how did it measure up after allnthese years?

nParasite is a post apocalyptic science fiction horror story.nIt takes place in a society that is on the brink of extinction, with people livingnin a “dog eat dog” state of mind. The film follows a scientist who has created thesenslug creatures that live under your skin and then burst out of your body,nkilling you on their way out. He was making these things for the government tonuse as a weapon, but after creating them he decided he wants no part of it.nUnfortunately, he’s created two slugs, one he keeps in a containment unitnand the other has found a home beneath his skin! Now he must find a way tonkill the slug within him, and destroy the experiment so it never reaches thenhands of the government. Unfortunately, he escapes to a wasteland filled withngangs of idiots who live for raping and pillaging. Will he manage to kill allnthe slugs he’s created?

nParasite was a film produced and directed by b-movie mogulnRichard Band. For those not in the know, Richard Band is responsible for allnthose Full Moon horror movies that include the Puppet Master, Bloodspecies,nDollman, Trancers and Demonic Toys movies among many others. But before creating Full Moon, hendirected movies like Parasite, these Richard Band theatrical releases are way better than anythingnhe ever did under Full Moon. I mean, these movies nwhile still well within B-Movie parameters, where extremely watchable movies,nwhich is something I can’t say for a lot of the films he directed and producednfor Full Moon. During those early years, Richard Band directed films like Laserblast (1978) and MetalnStorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), both of which are fun because theynare bad. The dialog on these films is atrociously hilarious and the specialneffects are laughable, yet entertaining. Parasite complies with all thentroupes you’d find in your a-typical post apocalyptic low budget movie, the end result was something along the lines of Italian Mad Max rip offs like 1990: The Bronx Warriorsn(1982) mixed with a little bit of David Cronenberg’s Shivers (1975).

nThe film does have a few amusing things about its cast. First,nthis was Demi Moore’s second theatrical role which shows once again that manynstars start out their careers in cheap ass horror movies. Johnny Depp startednout in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Kevin Bacon in Friday the 13^thnPart 2 (1981), Meg Ryan on Amityville 3-D (1983) and Matthew McConaughey andnRenee Zellweger both started out in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994).nOn Parasite we get Demi Moore playing the role of the post apocalyptic survivor,nher performance is nothing to brag about. The film also counts with Tom Villardnin the role of Zeke, who gets to one of the better death scenes in the film.nSome of you horror hounds out there might remember Tom Villard as the mainnvillain in the obscure 90’s slasher film Pop Corn (1991). But the bestnperformance in the whole film comes from a guy called Luca Bercovici who playsnRicus, the leader of the post apocalyptic gang. Bercovici went on to appear innbigger and better films, usually as the villain. Some of you might remember himnas Kevin Costner rival in American Flyer (1985).

nStill, there was something that set Parasite apart, something made it special. Sure it was a cheesy, low budget production all the way, butnit had one great thing going for it: Stan Winston was doing the monsterneffects. That’s right, the same guy that created the creatures seen in Predatorn(1987), Aliens (1986), Terminator (1984) and Jurassic Park (1993) started out withnParasite, creating all the slimy slugs and the gory body horror. Some of the makeupneffects truly stand out and when you mix those effects with 3-D you gotnyourself some horror movie magic that will make any five year old squirm in hisntheater seat. At that tender age I was subjected to slugs slithering beneathnthe skin of people, stomachs exploding and slugs splitting people’s heads apart,nno wonder I grew to love horror movies! Stan Winston’s work alone elevates thisnfilm a bit, but truth be told, Parasite remains a low budget post apocalyptic filmnof the cheesiest caliber.

nI mean, the cheese just flows here. For example, the governmentnsends this really weird character called “The Merchant” to find the scientistnthat created the slugs. Funny part is this Merchant also shoots lasers…truth bentold he’s like some sort of a Terminator who drives a black Lamborghini, whichnI’m sure was supposed to be a futuristic car, but now looks retro. In fact, thenfilm is set in the “not too distant future” of 1992! That always cracks me upnwhen movies do that, it reminded me of Escape from New York (1981), a film innwhich “the future” was 1988! Parasite was even promoted as being “the firstnfuturistic monster movie”! Even funnier is that it’s supposed to be futuristic,nbut the town in which the film takes place looks like it came out of the OldnWest! But anyways, this is all part of the films b-movie charm. For a CharlesnBand film, this movie is actually pretty cool and has its moments. I remember thenfilm had me by the throat during that scene in which everyone is just waitingnfor the slimy creature to pop out of that canister! That scene is still prettyneffective in my book. Since Parasite wasnfirst released in 3-D back in 1982, you will see many things being hurled atnthe camera, the filmmakers really squeezed the 3-D to full effect, objects are always placed in the foreground so they would pop up. I remember the 3-D being anhighlight. Some might consider this one to be in the lower echelon of post apocalyptic films, but I’d give anything to re-watch this one in a theater with thosenred and blue 3-D glasses and I’d especially give anything to feel those same, frightful chills I felt while watching this one as a kid.

nRating: 2 1/2 out of 5